Zach Edey Makes Decision on Team Canada, 2024 Olympics
Zach Edey will not be making the trip to the 2024 Paris Olympics. On Sunday, the new member of the Memphis Grizzlies announced that he has withdrawn his name from consideration to play for Team Canada this summer and will focus his attention on Summer League.
The former Purdue star had made the Canadian National Team's training camp roster and was in the mix to land a spot on the Olympic squad. He released a statement regarding his decision.
"I have made the difficult decision of pulling myself out of the process to compete for a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with Canada," Edey said. "Since last summer, I have been training and competing nonstop to achieve my goals of winning a national championship at Purdue and making it to the NBA.
"I have a duty now to properly prepare for all that is coming my way with being drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies. The work I put in this summer on my body and my game is critical for me to be the best version of myself. Thank you to Canada Basketball and all the fans for your support and understanding. Representing Canada in the Olympics remains a lifelong dream of mine, but for now, I look forward to being the team's biggest fan from this side of the Atlantic."
Memphis selected Edey with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday. He ended his senior year at Purdue averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Edey was named the Naismith National Player of the Year for a second consecutive season.
On Friday, during his introductory press conference, Edey explained what it was like to be drafted by the Grizzlies.
"They played their cards well. I had no idea they were interested. But they've been on me since I was a sophomore," Edey said. "They were always a team that was really interested in me, had a lot of belief in me. They were really the only team that believed in me, would've given me a deal my sophomore year. So, that's always kind of stuck with me, stayed with me.
"I was actually disappointed this year that I hadn't heard from them. And then the draft comes up and I'm getting picked, so they caught me off guard. Couldn't be happier."
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